A New Path
by OscardrivesmeWilde92
Summary: Sometimes in life you know you can't ever go back you just have to move forward. And that's what Nick wants to do, if Monroe will have him of course. Nick/Monroe
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter One:**

Nick had been driving for what felt like hours. They had finally solved the case of the psychotic gamer who was cutting people in half in both reality and the virtual world.

After Hank had helped him get Wu back to the safety of the building's roof they had left for the precinct straight away leaving the paramedics to deal with the mess left for them on the road.

The captain had thankfully sent them straight back out though, on seeing how exhausted they both were. Nick had said his goodbyes quickly before jumping into his car looking forward to getting home.

He knew he shouldn't really be calling Monroe's house his home. After all he had only been living there for a little while.

He couldn't help but recall how he had come over to the house that night a few weeks ago to find Monroe nervously waiting for him, he had already drunk a few cold ones to try and get through the uncomfortable conversation that was to ensue.

Monroe had told him about Juliette and the Captain's kiss at the spice shop even though it was embarrassing for him and put him in an awkward position.

Nick had felt a surge of gratitude for the blutbad like never before. It had also helped somewhat to numb the pain of what he had just heard.

It wasn't like he was surprised, Monroe always seemed to put Nick's needs ahead of his own but still it had made his chest tighten knowing that Monroe was watching out for him and knowing that he would always be honest with him.

Now a couple of weeks later he found himself using the clockmakers cosy spare room and he had to admit he didn't just like it because it was more comfortable than a couch or his trailer.

Still he felt guilty. In the last few days he had barely thought about Juliette or tried to contact her.

Hank had looked at him with an odd knowing look when he had asked him the other day how things were going between the two of them and he had to admit the truth.

However before Hank could voice whatever was on his mind they had been interrupted by another development in the case.

Now after getting stuck in traffic and being hindered by a tree having falling in the road he was truly ready and eager to get home to coffee, bed and fingers crossed some of Monroe's home cooking.

He finally pulled into the drive and got out rubbing his tired eyes as he walked to the door, grateful Monroe had given him a key so he didn't have to waste time knocking.

When he opened the door he found Monroe sitting on the stairs wearing one of his comfy white cardigans fidgeting slightly with his hands.

His stomach dropped slightly.

"Hey Nick" he said giving a half smile that did not reach his eyes.

Nick sighed. "What's happened?"

**OOOO**

Monroe had never been so annoyed in his life. He had been home for only twenty minutes when he realised his clocks weren't enough to calm him down.

Taking a small walk in the woods behind his house cleared his head a little but it wasn't until he threw himself in to cooking his and Nick's dinner that he really felt confident he wouldn't break something or someone.

He knew he was a little all over the place lately and he had had to step up his Pilates to four hours every day ever since Nick had moved in but he wasn't ready to go in to why that was at this moment in time.

He had decided though to tell Nick about Juliette's request the minute he got home.

He had spent the day and most of the evening at her place with Rosalie, trying to help her figure out what her hallucinations or visions were about.

However by the end of the evening he was ready to tear into her just like the old days and it was only by no small amount of restraint that he had not.

Too be fair he didn't mind Rosalie making demands of him. She was one of his closest friends besides Nick but he was only really beginning to get to know Juliette.

For her to stand there and demand for him to take her to the trailer and then threaten to forget Nick forever was infuriating.

He knew she was having a hard time and felt sorry for her. Hell that's why he had gone over there in the first place and why he had kept her recent condition from Nick.

But there was only so far that he could be pushed before he pushed back.

After he had made dinner he had a beer while he waited anxiously for Nick to come back, his Grimm or rather the Grimm Monroe's inner thoughts corrected, normally would have been back by now.

However after living with the younger man for the last couple of weeks he knew that with his profession it was difficult to keep a regular routine.

That's actually one of the things that Monroe still found quite strange. He was a man of routine, of habit.

Nick on the other hand was anything but. Well to be fair that wasn't quite true. On his days off Nick stuck to a fairly regular pattern.

But still, Nick's crazy hours and behaviour didn't grate on Monroe's nerves. They actually seemed to work well together. As roommates of course his treacherous mind interjected.

Dam he thought to himself, he was annoyed at himself for getting sidetracked with these ridiculous ideas of Nick when he had another difficult conversation awaiting him with the man.

He went to sit on the stairs and then that's when he heard it: the now very familiar sound of Nick's car pulling up in the drive way and the Grimm getting out and slamming his door.

Monroe rolled his eyes at that; the man could never close a car door gently. His poor yellow bug could attest to that.

Nick walked in through the doors a couple of minutes later his eyes tired but a grin was already in place before it dropped when he took in the sight of Monroe.

Nick seemed to have a sixth sense for when something wasn't right, which could have been a detective or Grimm thing. All Monroe knew was that it was definitely a Nick thing.

He sighed before asking Monroe what had happened.

Monroe didn't bother holding back this time and just came out with it.

Once he had told him about Juliette's visions and her threat of forgetting Nick forever he was left with a very stunned looking Grimm.

He felt the urge to pull the other man towards him into a hug to comfort him but he resisted. Just because Nick looked like he needed taking care of, did not mean he needed Monroe to take care of him.

"Well" said Nick after awhile looking a little lost.

Monroe's anger towards Juliette increased tenfold but he would never take it out on Nick.

So instead he held back the growl that was building deep in his chest and got up to direct Nick to the couch in the sitting room.

"Hey come on man it's not so bad we'll figure it out" he said trying to reassure Nick and to dislodge that sad look on his face.

Nick was quiet for what seemed like forever to Monroe.

He really wanted to get Nick to talk but he knew it wouldn't be polite to rush him.

So he sat and waited.

It wasn't until Nick turned slightly on the couch to face Monroe that he realised he had been rubbing the younger mans back in soothing circles.

"Monroe I…"

"Look Nick we don't have to make any decisions tonight man. I mean it's a huge thing" said Monroe soothingly.

Nick nodded but he still didn't move. If anything he got closer to Monroe's hand as if seeking the contact.

Monroe knew this was so not the time for noticing things like that and knew that it was definitely not the time to be imagining what would happen if he picked up the smaller man and placed him in his lap.

But he couldn't get the image out of his head. Nick always smelled fantastic but Monroe needed him closer, needed to bury his head in Nick's neck to see if the smell was stronger there, the smell of coffee, soap and something that Monroe could never place.

Shaking his head he forced himself to focus.

Nick needed him.

"Do you want me to get you something to eat? You probably haven't eaten all day"

"No I'm not very hungry" said Nick.

Monroe however knew by now that the man got through his days on sugar and coffee and if it wasn't for the good breakfasts he made him in the mornings he would seriously be worrying about the Grimm's health.

"Hey come on it's already made and I just have to heat it up, it'll make you feel better" urged Monroe getting up to head to the kitchen.

He let out a breath when he heard Nick following him.

Nick sat down at the table and Monroe followed once he had his food set out.

After a few tentative bites Nick started to devour the food enthusiastically and even managed a real smile when he was done.

"God Monroe, thank you! I really needed that" said Nick making Monroe shift uncomfortably in his chair.

The grateful smile Nick threw him, his words and his obvious enjoyment of his cooking was making Monroe feel really good in a very wrong way.

"No problem man" said Monroe gruffly. He got up to put the other mans dish in the sink.

**OOOO**

They moved into the sitting room with a couple of beers and turned on the television. Nick had no idea what to do about Juliette. If he were being honest, he didn't want to think about it. He was tired from work and now after the delicious dinner he had had and his comfortable seat on the couch with the warm blutbad next to him he was finding it difficult to focus on it.

After all he didn't like feeling backed into a corner and that's what she was doing.

He realised that the question he really should be considering was not should he allow Monroe to show her the trailer but really whether he was as eager as before for them to_ go back_ to the way things were.

After all when they had first met he was a different person. He knew that he had been naïve in the past when he thought that being a Grimm wouldn't change him.

It had. He was living a different life and although some things like his friendship with Hank had been able to stay the same even grow, he was beginning to see how many things had changed from his old life to his new Grimm life.

Looking over at Monroe sitting so close to him, in his protective way and thinking about all the good he felt he could do he knew he wouldn't change it for the world.

And that's when he knew he had his answer. He loved Juliette but not in the same way. His aunt had been right. She wouldn't survive in this world, his new world and he couldn't afford to be selfish and try and pretend like they could get through it.

Even if she did try to understand and believed him, that wouldn't stop her from being in danger from the thousands of threats out there for both a detective and a Grimm.

He felt very tired and couldn't help closing his eyes and snuggling deeper into the couch.

He felt a bit better now that he had made his decision and much more peaceful with the Monroe smelling cushion that he now found under his head.

He smiled he had gotten into the habit lately of falling asleep on Monroe whenever they stayed up late watching movies but the blutbad hadn't said anything to him so Nick assumed he didn't mind too much.

The man was just so cosy.

Tomorrow he would fix things he thought to himself but for now he just wanted to sleep.

**A/N: Ok hope people liked this and if so I'll continue! Also I'll be updating my other stories really soon! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: No Beta so really sorry for any and all spelling and grammar mistakes!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters to Grimm.**

**Chapter Two:**

Nick woke up and realised that he again had no memory of making it to his bed last night. It had happened a few times in the past where he had fallen asleep on the couch after work or a late night watching television with Monroe.

He had often awakened with a serious creek in his neck and had been as Monroe put it "grumpy and pouty".

Then one morning Nick had woken up comfortably in Monroe's spare room with no aches and pains and always felt well rested.

The big bad blutbad had taken to carrying Nick to the room on such nights after hear this announcement.

This like many of the blutbads other actions made Nick smile and feel warm, safe and for the first time in a long while, content.

Sighing, he suddenly remembered the conversation they had had last night before he had fallen asleep.

It again involved Juliette.

Ever since he had become a Grimm, his relationship with her had started to become muddled, a tangle of worry lies and upset.

Things that seemed like small faults between them before now seemed bigger. For instances Juliette had never really liked Nicks profession and had liked it even less when he was promoted to Detective.

His time was not his own and that caused a strain between them. But now?

Now, Nick thought to himself reluctantly as he stepped into the shower, things were a complete mess.

His philosophy was, always expect complications in life.

The key he found over the years was over coming them as quickly and as efficiently as you could.

Nick was beginning to realise that he was trying to hold on to something that just wasn't there anymore with Juliette and it really wasn't fair to either of them to keep going on as if they were still the same people they had been when they met.

Getting out of the shower he quickly dressed and headed downstairs, going over in his head what he planned to say to Juliette after he phoned her and arranged to meet up some time today.

Luckily, today was one of his few days off so he knew it was a good opportunity to have a serious discussion without work getting in the way.

Entering the kitchen he felt the tension and anxiety that had been plaguing him since he woke up leave him at the smell and sight of Monroe's homemade pancakes decorating the kitchen table.

No matter what mood he was in the clockmakers cooking could always derail his worries or lift his spirits.

"Morning" came the greeting from Monroe who was just finishing making a pot of coffee as Nick took a seat.

"God Monroe this looks amazing" said Nick remembering his manners before he dug into the food.

It tasted amazing as well. He sighed happily when the first splash of coffee hit his tongue and slid down his throat.

They ate in companionable silence for a while until they both finished with their breakfasts.

"Monroe I'm going to be meeting with Juliette today" said Nick not wanting to hide anything from his friend.

"Have you decided then what you're going to do?" asked Monroe as he got up to take their dishes to the sink.

"Yeah, actually I've decided that well…" begun Nick as he helped Monroe to clear the table.

Nick didn't know why it was so difficult to explain his decision to the clockmaker.

He stood next to Monroe with his back to the counter as the man started to wash the dishes.

"Nick come on man it's me, what is it?" asked Monroe nudging him in the ribs.

"I just don't want you to think less of me" said Nick realising that it had been one of his concerns.

"I won't" promised Monroe looking at Nick solemnly before continuing with his task.

"Well, I've thought about this a lot. I mean obviously I have because what I'm talking about is very important and…"

"Nick stop babbling" said Monroe rolling his eyes at Nick's hesitation.

"Well…" but before Nick could continue his phone started to ring.

Sighing out loud at the interruption he looked at Monroe apologetically but the blutbad simply smiled and motioned for Nick to answer it.

"Burckhardt" he said stepping away from the sink.

"Hey Nick, its Juliette. I thought maybe we could have breakfast together instead of lunch if that's ok because I made way too much" said Juliette with laugh.

"Um, yeah sure I'll be at the house in a few" said Nick.

"You have to go" said Monroe when Nick hung up.

"Yeah but it's not work its Juliette I..."

"Oh hey man no need to explain. I'll just catch you later" said Monroe as he dried off his hands and made his way to his work bench.

Nick could tell that something was up with Monroe. He seemed annoyed by something, but for the life of him Nick couldn't figure out what.

Seeing that Monroe had already pulled out a clock he'd been repairing for the last couple of days he made his way to the door.

He had known the man long enough to realise when to and when not to ask questions and he obviously did not want to be bothered right now.

Deciding he'd ask about it when he got back he hurried to his car.

The quicker he met up with Juliette the quick this would all be over and done with.

**OOOO**

Monroe listened for Nick's car to pull out of the driveway before he gave up the pretence of working.

Truthfully he was angry with himself for being angry with Nick for rushing off to Juliette. Logically he knew he had no right to be but it didn't matter. He had had to stop the protective growl that had been ready to explode out of his chest when he had heard her voice on the phone.

He had superior hearing compared to humans and even to a Grimm and so her voice had echoed through his head like she was standing right there in the kitchen between him and Nick.

Monroe now found himself realising that his inner wolf was giving out very clear signals.

For Monroe they were very dangerous, and felt almost like big yellow and red warning signs that were now obscenely flashing repeatedly in his mind.

When his grandmother first told him as a young cub about these sort of feelings she had spoken reverently about the experience.

Then again it had probably never crossed her mind that her grandson would choose a Grimm for his life mate.

But that was what it felt like. Ever since Nick had moved in Monroe had been noticing the small tells that every mature blutbad should experience once he found his mate.

And worst of all they were becoming more and more obvious and less easy to control and hide from Nick.

Which meant he was in serious trouble.

**A/N: Ok I'm so sorry this is taking me so long to post! Really busy with college and work and it feels like I have no time lately for anything else.**

**But if People are still interested and are enjoying the story, I'll try and get chapter three up as soon as I can! =)**


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